Ferroelectric ceramic compositions



3 472 777 FERROELECTRIC ERAMIC COMPOSITIONS Lothar H. Brixner, West Chester, Pa., assignor to E. I.

du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Del.,

a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Filed July 28, 1967, Ser. No. 656,680 Int. Cl. C04b 35/00, 35/46; H01v 7/02 US. Cl. 252-62.9 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Ferroelectric ceramic compositions derived from the well-known perovskite crystal structure ABOg have the generic formula AMg Ti W O where A is Pb for which partial substitution may be made by (1) from 0.1 to 0.8 mole of Sr, or (2) from 0.1 to 0.3 mole of Y with electroneutrality restored by introduction of ions of Nb or Ta in substitution for ions of W.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Ferroelectric compositions based on the crystal structure of perovskite are known in the art, and many of the 2 substituted-perovskite crystals have been found to be quite valuable as piezoelectric ceramics, such as, for example, lead zirconate-titanate as described and claimed in U.S. 2,708,244, and lead zirconate-titanate-stannate as in US. 2,849,404. However, substitutions in A and 8 sites of the crystal of generic formula ABO comprising the elements disclosed in the present invention and in the amounts specified, with ion-compensation by Nb or Ta where necessary to attain electroneutrality, is not disclosed nor suggested.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION i/s i/s i/a s within the rules of isomorphic substitution and maintenance of electroneutrality by appropriate valence compensation, is possible by introduction of (1) from 0.1 to 0.8 mole of Sr per mole of lead; or (2) by introduction of from 0.1 to 0.3 mole of yttrium per mole of lead, with the necessary electroneutrality re-established in this case by introduction of appropriate amounts of niobium or tantalum in substitution for ions of tungsten.

The compositions of this invention are prepared by standard ceramic techniques comprising, in order, the steps of weighing, mixing, prefiring, ball-milling, pressing, and final firing of the required metal oxide or its precursor. The ceramic discs which are prepared by these steps are 3,472,777 Patented Oct. 14, 1969 ICC fitted with firmly-attached electrodes of Ag, Au, Pd, or Pt and tested for electrical properties.

The following examples describe in detail the preparation and testing of the ferroelectric ceramic compositions of this invention. They are cited to illustrate the invention and not to limit it in any manner.

Example 1 The following reactants are weighed to the nearest 4 mg. and blended:

513C00 10.0333 g 0.5046 Tio 1.0000 W0 2.9017

The powder blend is fired at 800 C. for 8 hours in air. The reaction product is ball-milled under acetone in a mechanical agate mill to insure complete homogenization, and pellets of /2 to 1" diameter are pressed from the ground material using 15,000 p.s.i. The pellets are fired at 1050 C. for 2 hours and the resulting strong ceramic discs are polished true and paralled before electrodes are attached.

A piece of the disc resulting from the final firing is examined by X-ray analysis. The material is found to be single-phase, with no lines indicating the constituent components to be present. The formula of the composition may therefore be written PbMg Ti W O The lattice parameters are as follows:

crystal volume=61.123 A. X-ray density=9.25'2 g. ml.

For comparison, to indicate the degree of non-centrosymmetric tetragonal distortion exhibited by this crystal, the well-known ferroelectric BaTiO shows a c/a ratio of 1.01, and the equally well known 'ferroelectric PbTio has a c/ a ratio of 1.04.

The dielectric constant of this material is 1445 at 1 kHz. (kilohertz). Ferroelectricity is established by observing the E-D hysteresis loop in a loop tracer. Saturation polarization and remanent polarization of 2.45 and 1.31 microcoulomb/cm? respectively are observed at Hz. with a sweep-to-peak voltage of 2500 v.

Examples 2-6 The dielectric constants at room temperature are given as KRT.

TABLE I.--S!-SUB STIT UTION [Pb l-y Srx gi/aT u t ua 3] 3 Examples 7-11 Compacts of composition 1 x 1/3x x 1/3 1/3 3 2. Ferroelectric ceramic compositions of the perovskite crystal structure of formula Pb Sr Mg Ti W O in which .7: has a value of 0.1 to 0.2 inclusive.

3. Ferroelectric ceramic compositions of the perovskite crystal structure of formula were prepared according to the same procedure as given 5 in the previous examples, using the amounts of oxides Pb Y'W Nb M Ti 0 and carbonates as given in Table II. These compacts are h 1/3 X X gm 1/3 3 tested in the same manner as given above and the dielecin which x has a value of 0.1 to 0.2 inclusive. tric constants are found as given in Table II. 4. A process for the preparation of a fcrroelectric TABLE l[.Y-S UBSII'IUTION [Pbl-xYx\vlI3x bx g1/3 l/3 3] X YzOa PbCOa W03 NbzOs MgO TlOz Kn'r UTILITY ceramic composition of claim 1, which comprises the steps The compositions of this invention may be employed of x %2 2 i g ii 3 2? i fi qg wherever electromechanical transduction is required, for 32 3 es i g p c 52 9 0 e OX1 g instance, as a phonograph cartridge and as a frequency of me i an g s f .fi g l g filter in a radio circuit; because of its high dielectric con- 0 2?? g q 2 2 stant it may be used as a high capacitance capacitor. tem e gg g gf 59 1 n y i Many equivalent modifications will be apparent to gi g g d f a ml l those skilled in th art from a reading of th above i si without a departure from the. inventive concept. 3O 4 g g r 2 6% c What is claimedis: om u s mpeia u e o ou 1. Ferroelectric ceramic compositlons of the perovskrte References Cited crystal structure having the generic formula UNITED STATES PATENTS i/a i/s i s a 35 3,268,783 8/1966 Sabun 106-39 X Where A 1s Pb for which partial substitution has been OTHER REFERENCES made by an element selected from the group consisting H of strontium and yttrium, within the following further Smolensk ct Sol/let physlcs'solld State, limitations: (1) when strontium is used in partial substitu- 3, September 1951- tion for lead, it may be substituted in an amount of from 40 0.1 to 0.8 mole per mole of lead and (2) when ytrrium is used in partial substitution for Pb it may be substituted in an amount of from 0.1 to 0.3 mole per mole of lead, with electroneutrality restored by the introduction of ions of Nb or Ta in substitution for ions of tungsten.

TOBIAS E. LEVOW, Primary Examiner I. COOPER, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 10639 

